Research Output Repository (HSRC)
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Varsprodukte in Suid-Afrika :inkomste- en kostestrukture van markagentskappe op die nasionale varsproduktemarke in die Republiek van Suid-Afrika: 'n RGN bemarkingsondersoek
No full textN Kommunikasie-analise met betrekking tot gesondheidvoorligtingdienste :die benutting van massamedia deur stedelike en nie-stedelike Xhosas
No full textInnovation for inclusive development and economics: interpretations and policy implications: seminar 1 report
Get PDFCommissioned by the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), OctoberIn October 2015, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) was awarded a contract by the then Department of Science and Technology (DST) (now the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation- DSTI) for the hosting of Government Cluster Policy Workshops (GCPWs) and to build upon the previous DST Human and Social Development (HSD) contract awarded to the Research Use and Impact Assessment Unit (RIA) of the HSRC in 2011. The contract had two connected components: GCPWs, which focused on the research and policy needs of government and held with the Director-Generals of the Social and Economic Clusters, and Science seminars, which essentially highlighted research at historically disadvantaged universities (HDIs), facilitated dialogue across departments and faculties, and addressed policy concerns.N/
On the rise of military regimes in West Africa: between legitimacy fatigue and legality crisis
No full textThis article investigates the alarming recurrence of violence by military personnel in West African states in terms of their political affairs. In order to determine the propagation of military coups in the region, as well as the incapacity of regional and continental entities to remedy this phenomenon, this article questions the relevance and conformity of democratic practices about the spirit and the essence of ‘democracy’ as a governing system aimed at fostering peace, justice, and social cohesion for the majority. It asserts that West African states face a crisis of democracy, legitimacy, and legality. Democratic proceedings and practices in most West African countries, i.e. the basis for power acquisition and its exercise, are inherently conflict-prone. They give little chance for a peaceful resolution in cases of political crisis. In short, they create the conditions for popular revolts, insurrections, and revolutions.
From policy to practice: strengthening local South African government coalitions through legislation ahead of the 2026 elections
No full textHSRC Policy Brief, OctoberCoalition governments have become a common feature within South Africa’s political landscape, especially at the local government level. However, the reality is that these coalition governments operate in a legal vacuum, as there is no legislation adopted to guide them. This has contributed to unstable governments hampered by internal strife and disputes, and often resulting in deteriorating service delivery in local communities. While legislation can regulate and guide political processes, it alone cannot ensure political stability in local government. Legislation should be complemented by the willingness of councilors and political parties to respect and abide by the legislation. This policy and practice brief (PPB) contributes to ongoing debates on coalition governments in South Africa by critically examining the proposed Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill of 2024 (Coalition Bill). It assesses the strengths, weaknesses, and implications of the Bill’s key provisions within a broader context of the evolving legislative framework on coalitions.N/
Theorising the #MustFall student movements in contemporary South African higher education: a social justice perspective
No full textA significant amount of literature on the student movement in South Africa is characterised by two limitations. Firstly, a significant amount of this literature is found in un-academic and non-peer-reviewed sources, such as social media, online newspapers, blog posts and other platforms. Secondly, some of this literature is characterised by an absence of theory in offering us critical analysis of the emergent conditions of the student movement as a phenomenon in South African higher education (SAHE). In this article, we respond to the above gaps by contributing to the scholarly development and critical analysis of the student movement in SAHE. In order to respond to the above two gaps, we firstly provide a brief historical and contextual environment that has contributed to the emergence of the student movement phenomenon in SAHE. Secondly, we introduce Nancy Fraser's social justice perspective, in offering us the theoretical and conceptual tools we need to look at the struggles and challenges that confront student movements, focusing in particular on the challenges that frustrate
them in relating and interacting as peers on an equal footing in society. Using Fraser' social justice framework to look at the #MustFall movements will allow us to better understand them as complex phenomena in SAHE and allow us to properly understand their emergence.
Innovation in the South African Informal Sector Survey: statistical report: baseline survey in Sweetwaters, KwaZulu-Natal, 2017–2018
No full textThe main purpose of this report is to present the baseline survey data that was collected in a descriptive manner. Individual case studies of innovation within some of the larger sectors of economic activity in informal settings will be published later in 2020 as companion publications. Finally, a detailed report analysing the survey data in greater detail, and including a synthesis of results from the individual case studies, will complete the suite of products from the project measuring innovation in the informal sector in Sweetwaters, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
A discourse analysis of social inequities, gender, and stigma in tuberculosis policies of seven countries from Africa, Asia, Europe and South America
No full textInterventions tackling the social aspects of tuberculosis (TB) are widely suggested, et we miss insights into how policies incorporate these. The language and framing of policies to address TB can lend important insights into how these social drivers are perceived, problematized, and responded to. Objective: To understand how discourses in current TB policies frame social dimensions of TB, especially concepts of social inequity, gender, and stigma. We conducted a comparative critical discourse analysis of twenty-one publicly available TB-related policies from Belarus, Brazil, Indonesia, Mozambique, Netherlands, Portugal, and Romania, countries with diverse epidemiological, geographical and sociopolitical contexts. Documents were sourced from public websites from May – September 2024. The Bacchi approach was used to analyze policy framings of social inequities, gender, and stigma. Result: While policies from Brazil and Indonesia showed greater attention to social inequities, gender, and stigma, and were more explicitly reflective of an equity-oriented and people centered
approach, overall, a dominant biomedical perspective was observed that individualizes responsibility for cure. This tends to disregard issues of social inequity, obscures gender relationships and the multiple dimensions of stigma. At the same time, allocation of individual as well as structural responsibility for TB risk and outcomes co-existed. Explicit and implicit discourses about TB within health-related policies can influence the nature of attention given to the social dimensions of TB and can shape corresponding responses to the disease. We recommend a participative policy process that includes a broader set of actors to ensure documents are responsive to social realities.
Assessing disaster vulnerability in an informal settlement of Cape Town, South Africa, through the MOVE framework
No full textInformal settlements in South Africa remain highly exposed to disasters despite continued disaster risk reduction (DRR) interventions. Khayelitsha particularly the Barney Molokwane (BM) Section is among Cape Town's most flood- and fire-prone areas. Understanding vulnerability in such contexts requires frameworks capable of unpacking the interaction of exposure, susceptibility, and resilience. This study applies the Methods for the Improvement of Vulnerability Assessment in Europe (MOVE) framework to assess the drivers of vulnerability in BM Section and situates findings within comparable evidence from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. A mixed-methods design was employed, integrating household surveys with 125 randomly selected residents, transect walks, and systematic field observations. The MOVE framework structured the assessment across three components—exposure, susceptibility, and resilience. Quantitative and qualitative data were triangulated to capture settlement conditions, socioeconomic factors, governance interactions, and everyday coping strategies. Vulnerability in BM Section is shaped by intersecting socio-economic, environmental, and institutional factors. Key drivers include inadequate housing, overcrowding, unemployment, poor sanitation, and infrastructure deficits. Exposure is intensified by wetland encroachment and the dismantling of protective berms. Hazardous coping practices such as illegal electricity connections and resistance to re-blocking reflect governance shortcomings, mistrust, and limited access to basic services rather than community unwillingness. Comparative literature shows that while wetland encroachment is context-specific, poverty and weak institutional engagement are widespread determinants of urban informal settlement vulnerability. The MOVE framework effectively illuminates multidimensional vulnerability but captures cultural factors and informal social safety nets less comprehensively. Findings point to the need for participatory governance approaches, including co-developed early warning systems, community driven drainage solutions, and livelihood support mechanisms. The study demonstrates the value of structured vulnerability assessment for informing flood-risk management and climate adaptation planning in informal settlements,
contributing to progress toward SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Why & how science diplomacy & engaged research matter
No full textPaper presented at Engaging Futures: Bridging Research, Policy & Diplomacy, Science Diplomacy Summer School, Pretoria, 26 Augus